GAZA CITY, March 28: "Even if the Zionists kill all of us (the leadership), they cannot kill the resistance and Hamas," said Abdelaziz Rantissi, the new leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, addressing a rally here on Sunday.

"America has announced a war against Allah, (Israeli Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon has announced a war against Allah. Allah announces a war against America, Bush and Sharon," he told a crowd of more than 5,000 who had gathered at Gaza City's Islamic University.

"I see the beginning of victory starting from here in Palestine in the hands of the Ezzedin al-Qassam Brigades (Hamas's armed wing) and the Hamas movement," said Rantissi who became leader of Hamas in the Palestinian territories after the assassination of the movement's spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin last Monday.

In a statement issued after Yassin's assassination, the Brigades hinted that the United States could be targeted, saying the killing could only have taken place with the green light from Washington.

Rantissi sought on Wednesday to allay fears that the US would be targeted, saying that "we will target only our enemy, the (Israeli) occupiers." The university rally was the first appearance in public by Rantissi since the end of a three-day official mourning period for Yassin.

He and other Hamas leaders had gone to ground to make sure they did not meet the same fate as Yassin, with Israel indicating that they would continue to target the Hamas leadership.

Other senior Hamas figures such as Ismail Haniya were also among the crowds at the university and Rantissi said that Israel could never hope to wipe out the movement. The crowds, mostly dressed in the green colours of Hamas, cheered Rantissi's every word and pledged their support for him. -AFP